Starlight Starbright
by Sita Moonlight
Summary: Post-7.9-Never Leave Me. It's Thanksgiving and the SG still haven't found Spike. Buffy tries to hide her depression, yet doesn't succeed for long at this. And, realizing she's not always alone, she has the gang help her find him. (I know I suck at summari


Title: Starlight. Starbright.  
Author: Sita  
Summary: Post-7.9-Never Leave Me. It's Thanksgiving and the SG still haven't found Spike. Buffy tries to hide her depression, yet doesn't succeed for long at this. And, realizing she's not always alone, she has the gang help her find him. (I know I suck at summaries, just read, please!)  
Spoilers: Post-7.9-Never Leave Me  
Rating: PG (just to warn you, there's some minor curse words!)  
Disclaimer: Yada yada yada yada yada....I own Spike....yada yada yada yada yada....I don't? What do you mean I don't own Spike! Well can I at least borrow him? Buffy and co belong to UPN, ME, and Joss Whedon.  
  
  
Her hands shook violently as she placed the sharp knife over the turkey, attempting to cut the bird into slices. It was Thanksgiving, and Buffy felt like shit.  
  
In the last two days Buffy hadn't gotten much sleep at all. Spike. He was gone. And she missed him. What if he was dead? Hurt? Being tortured? She asked herself countless questions. Not wanting to worry about him this much. But, like she did many times last year, she put on a happy face for her friends and sister and pretended everything was fine. Pretended that Spike didn't mean so much to her.  
  
They HAD looked for him. As a matter of fact, the night he had disappeared, the gang had gone out searching for the bleached blonde. They checked almost everywhere in Sunnydale, or so she thought they did. And still no sign of the bleached-blonde.  
  
So, now here she was. Thanksgiving and depressed. It was supposed to be a happy day, celebrating with loved one's and family. But, she just couldn't be happy. She had just been admitting what she felt to Spike when the demons had attacked them Summers' household. And, she wondered just HOW much she would've told him if they hadn't showed up.  
  
Sighing, and frowning at the jagged slices of turkey she had cut she set the bird on the table. Damn hand.   
  
"Willow?" She looked over her shoulder at the redhead who was staring into outerspace at the moment.  
  
"Huh?" The redhead snapped out of her thoughts, noticing Buffy. "Sorry, I was thinking."  
  
"I could tell." Buffy tried her best to smile. "Are the mashed potatoes ready?"   
  
"Oh, yeah." Willow pulled them out of the microwave. "Mircrowavy goodness." Willow smirked placing them next to the Turkey, and stepping back to admire the food the Witch and the Slayer had made. The table was piled with assorted foods and the redhead smiled, taking a deep breath and yelling, "DINNERS READY!"  
  
Almost immediately the whole Scooby Gang, minus one member, Buffy thought unhappily, had piled into the dining room. All surrounded the table. Xander immediately stuffing his face.  
  
"You could at least put food on your plate first, pig." Dawn said jokingly.  
  
Oh God. Buffy paused, thinking. She used to call Spike a pig. Why had she called him a pig? Should she have called him a pig? Why couldn't he be here? And why was every thought leading to Spike? Almost immediately the blonde burst into tears, and the whole table of people turned to look at her. Worry was evident on their faces.  
  
"What's wrong?" Choruses of voices came. Everyone asking her at the same time. And she shrunk back, not wanting to be crowded.  
  
"Guys." Willow suddenly spoke. "Give her some space. Let her calm down."  
  
"Well I wasn't asking her if she was okay." Anya spoke. "So I'm the good one, right?"  
  
Willow sent Anya a glare, and the ex-ex vengeance demon glared back. Yet, she quickly seemed to forget about the exchange rather quickly, starting to eat again.  
  
"Buffy?" Dawn asked.   
  
The blonde shook her head, not wanting to tell anyone why she was crying. And she scooted her chair away from the table, standing up and shaking her head at her friends.  
  
"I'm sorry. I can't eat. I hope you enjoy the dinner." And with that said, she moved to rush up the stairs.  
  
Dawn started to get up to follow the blonde, but Willow stopped her. "No I'll go. I think I know what's bothering her."  
  
Dawn nodded and let the redhead follow Buffy up the stairs.  
  
A soft knocking on the door, caused Buffy to look up from her position of her face buried in her pillow. Willow was standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable, not entirely sure if she should come in or not.  
  
Buffy nodded to her, letting her know that it was okay if she came in. And Willow walked farther into the room, making sure to shut the door behind her.  
  
"Is it Spike?" Willow sat down next to Buffy on the bed.  
  
Buffy turned over onto her back, looking at Willow, "How did you know?"  
  
"Because you've been mopey ever since he was taken." Willow sighed. "Buffy, we'll find him. I promise. He's probably fine."  
  
"Fine?" Buffy looked at Willow incredulously. "Those demons....the first....it took Spike! How can he be fine?! What if he's dead?!" Fresh tears started to make their way down her cheeks and she turned her head away from her best friend.  
  
"Stop it Buffy." Willow said sternly. "He's not dead." She lowered her voice to a whisper as she spoke the next words, "You'd know if he was dead."  
  
"Why do you think-"  
  
Willow cut Buffy off, knowing what she was going to say, "You know when the people you love are dead."  
  
"I don't love him."  
  
"Bullshit." Willow saying this caused Buffy to look up at Willow. For, the witch hardly ever cursed. "Maybe you won't admit it to yourself. But, you know it and I know it. Buffy," She took the blonde's hands. "You're in love with him." Willow looked up at the ceiling briefly, than back at Buffy. "Tonight's little display just confirmed it."  
  
Buffy didn't say anything to this, she just asked, "Will you help me find him?"  
  
Willow smiled, "What are best friends for?"  
  
"Do you think you can do a location spell?" Buffy asked, drying her eyes with the back of her hands.  
  
"I don't think I know one for specific demons. But, I can probably find one." The two walked out of Buffy's room and into Willow's room, over to her laptop. "I'll find one. There's a really good site on here that has all sorts of spells pertaining to demons."  
  
With a few clicks of the mouse and typing of the keyboard, the witch shouted out, "Aha!" smiling over at Buffy. "I found it." She than looked over at Buffy. "Do you still have Spike's duster because we need something of his for the spell. Well that is unless you want me to look for EVERY vampire." Willow gave Buffy a goofy grin.  
  
"Yeah, I still have it. It's in my closet." Buffy walked out of Willow's room only to come back a minute later holding the worn black leather in her hand. Willow quickly took it, going into the top draw of her dresser and pulling out few candles and herbs.   
  
The spell itself, only took a few minutes before Willow targeted the vampire. He was in a mansion of some sort, and Willow could feel he was in pain. She didn't supply Buffy with the last bit of information though.  
  
"We're probably going to need backup." Willow looked over at Buffy.  
  
Buffy nodded running downstairs where her friends and sister were still eating, and apparently discussing why she was crying.  
  
"Get weapons." She walked into the dining room. "We're going out."  
  
"What? Why?" Xander asked, shoving the last part of his pumpkin pie into his mouth.  
  
"Spike." She said. "We found out where he is."  
  
"Oh goody," Xander looked down. "A great end to a great Thanksgiving."  
  
Buffy ignored Xander's comment, only rolling her eyes at him briefly.  
  
"Why were you crying?" Dawn suddenly asked.  
  
"No time now. I'll talk to you about it later." Buffy replied, just as Willow came down the stairs. Buffy ran up to her best friend.  
  
"We gotta go now guys." She than looked over at Buffy. "The pull is getting stronger. The spell wants me to go to Spike, and now."  
  
Rushing around, everyone grabbed what was needed and piled into Willow's newly acquired truck in no time. Xander drove while Willow directed and the mansion Willow had described, was not as far away as one would of thought.  
  
"And I thought I would've noticed this." Xander mumbled.  
  
"That's the thing about Sunnydale. You never notice the new mansions." Buffy smiled fondly at Xander, as the group followed Willow up the hill leading to the mansion.  
  
Inside it was dark, and the smell was musty. Something that always reminded Buffy of her grandmothers. No sign of life or unlife seemed to be anywhere. Yet, as they neared the back of the mansion, dim lights could be seen coming from a single room. And Willow pointed to that room.  
  
"He's in there."  
  
Buffy nodded, kicking the door open. And what Buffy saw, made her want vengeance so much. Spike was chained to a wall with metal blades driven through his sides. Blood was strewn throughout the room, and Buffy could only guess it was the bleached-blonde vampire's. Symbols were also drawn in his blood on the walls and floor, even on the ceiling. He was also unconscious, laying there with his head close to his bloody chest.  
  
"Spike!" Buffy yelled, running up to him. She than looked over at her friends. "We need to get these blades out of him?"  
  
Willow nodded, "Do you think it would hurt if I did a little magick?" She looked around at her friends. "It'd be a lot less painful for Spike."  
  
Buffy looked near tears as she uttered, "Please."  
  
The blades were removed quickly and Buffy looked over at Xander, "Give me your shirt! He needs to stop bleeding."   
  
Xander ripped off his shirt and sweater, giving them both to Buffy. And the Slayer ran up to Spike, tying both the shirt and sweatshirt around the cuts embedded deep into Spike.  
  
A moan coming from Spike's mouth, startled Buffy and she looked up, "Spike?" She asked.  
  
He grimaced in pain, "Buffy?"  
  
"I'm here." She said quietly. "I'm here to take you home."  
  
The shackles around Spike's wrists and ankles weren't very strong, and Buffy broke them quickly, letting the medal slip to the floor as she caught Spike in her arms.  
  
"Someone help me carry him!" She said.  
  
Xander quickly came to her aid, and the two of them picked up the bleached-blonde, who was quickly slipping out of consciousness again.  
  
"Um, Buffy." Dawn suddenly spoke.  
  
And before Buffy could utter a word, three robed demons ran into the room armed with weapons. Buffy handed the vampire to Xander, running at one of them and kicking him squarely in the face. He fought back, flipping her over and pinning her to the ground, but only for a split second. For, she grabbed a blade off of the floor and dug it into his stomach.   
  
She let the demon die as she went after another, who was attacking Xander, and trying to get to Spike. She quickly approached him from behind, stabbing him in the back.   
  
The last one was currently fighting Dawn, Anya, and Willow at the same time. And Buffy grabbed him, flipping him over and stabbed him right through the heart.  
  
And, out of breath she said, "These one's were much easier to fight than the last."  
  
Dawn nodded, "Seems like it to you."  
  
  
****  
  
Cool water being rubbed on his wounds, woke him and he groaned, opening a single eye to look at the love of his life. She was hovering over him, tending to his wounds.  
  
"Buffy?" He croaked.  
  
"Shhh, Spike." She whispered. "It's okay. You don't have to talk."  
  
He looked up at her, "Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Are you conscious enough to hear me out?" She asked, putting the bowl of water aside and taking his hands into her own.  
  
"Seems that way considering the pain that's shooting through me at the moment, luv."   
  
She nodded, "You remember what I said to you a few days ago? How I believe in you?"  
  
He nodded back at her, trying his best to squeeze her hands that were holding his own.  
  
"Well I know there is no other way to say it and I'm gonna sound stupid...."  
  
"Buffy," He whispered. "Just say it."  
  
"It's more than believing in you, Spike." She looked at him through watery hazel eyes. "I think-I think I love you."  
  
His baby blue eyes grew huge at this statement, before he quickly turned his head away from her "You're just saying that because of what-"  
  
"No, Spike." She said, quietly, her voice almost a whisper. "You know me. I don't just say stuff like that. I don't say it unless I mean it. And I do mean it. I love you."  
  
His own eyes grew watery at this and he whispered, "Say it again. Please."  
  
"I love you, Spike." She said. "I don't know how we'll even have a relationship. And our past together is pretty screwed up. But somehow, somewhere along the way I fell in love with you."  
  
"I love you too, Buffy." He whispered, tears making their way down his cheeks. "God, I love you too."  
  
"Say it again," She smiled.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
And she slowly brought her lips down to meet his. It was a gentle kiss. One feather light so she wouldn't hurt him more than he was already hurting. And she smiled, pulling herself back into a sitting position, only after letting her lips linger on his for a moment more.  
  
"Happy Thanksgiving, Spike."  
  
~Starlight.   
Starbright.  
First star,  
I see tonight.  
I wish I may,  
I wish I might.  
Have the wish,  
I wish Tonight.~  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
AN: Hope you enjoyed the story! PLEASE REVIEW! 


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